1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward an apparatus for splicing light waveguides together and, more specifically, to an apparatus for splicing light waveguides together which permits the operator to view the ends of the light waveguides to be welded when the light waveguides and the apparatus are in a welding position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Light waveguide plugs, in whose hollow-cylindrical plug parts composed of ceramic the optical fibers to be coupled are to be glued as centrally as possible, are employed for the releasable connection of light waveguides. It is thereby known to already glue short optical fiber pieces into the end regions of the plug parts to be coupled in advance and to couple the continuing light waveguides within these plug parts with the assistance of an immersion fluid. The advantage of an exact centering of the optical fibers in the coupling region is opposed here, however, by the disadvantage of a high attenuation of the coupling locations within the plug parts. Further, there is the risk that the immersion fluid will dry up. The introduction of contaminants into the coupling region when inserting the light waveguides into the allocated plug parts can also hardly be avoided.
The earlier patent application bearing serial number PCT/DE95/00413 disclosed a splicing device [sic] for the welding of light waveguides in or immediately at optical components, particularly light waveguide plugs, with which optical fibers glued, for example, in ceramic plug parts can be welded to continuing light waveguides in or immediately at the plug parts. The accessability of the splice locations lying within the plug parts can thereby be assured, for example, by an appropriate transaxial channel of a plug part. The splicing device proposed for this purpose is based on the perception that optimum conditions for the adjustment of the light waveguides to be connected to one another and for the quality of the weld are established when the plug part held in a first receptacle and the optical fiber glued therein are swivelled in and given an axial insertion of the light waveguide held in a second receptacle. In addition to the described employment as plug splicing device, the splicing means can also be generally utilized for the welding of light waveguides in or immediately at other optical components.
Given the splicing means disclosed in the earlier application, the plug with the trans-axial channel must be capable of being turned by an angle of, for example, 60.degree. so that the ends of the light waveguides to be welded to one another can be observed in a first rotational position and the welding of the light waveguides can be implemented in a second rotational position by igniting an arc between two electrodes arranged spaced from one another.
DD 280 399 B1 has disclosed a splicing means for light waveguides wherein the axes of the two welding electrodes are arranged at an angle of 90.degree. relative to one another in order to create a better possibility of observation. The light waveguides to be welded are thereby arranged outside the center of the arc. The light waveguides proceed even farther out of the center of the arc given wear of the electrode tips.